Faded
by larissan
Summary: Angel survived the final battle - with a little help from an old friend.
1. Default Chapter

He lifted the sword, ready to face the armies of hell rolling toward his small group of insurgents...Gunn, who wouldn't make it much further; Illyria, still shaking with grief and not understanding; and Spike, the last person he ever thought would be fighting by his side against the forces of evil. He was calm, ready, accepting. He had said many times before: you don't fight because you know you can win. You fight because there are things worth fighting for. Still, this was the first time he had truly believed it.  
Moments before the first strike, shadows fell from the roofs overhead. Angel looked up, blinking to keep the rain out of his eyes. Lining the rooftops of all the buildings in the alley were girls, hundreds of girls. Slayers! He honestly hadn't expected this. They began rappelling down the buildings, armed and ready to battle. Buffy landed in front of him, and threw him a look over her shoulder. "Hey, you." She said. "Haven't had a good apocalypse in a while."  
Her head swung around to face Spike, but there was no time for a tearful reunion. The battle began – the smell of blood and sweat, the sound of swords clanging, ripping flesh, the whoosh of an arrow flying past him. His mind raced as he fought – Buffy. But, she didn't trust him. And the Immortal. And- Soon, he wasn't able to form a thought as the demons pushed forward.  
Initially, the Slayers had the advantage. It was a small area, and though many of the creatures were large, they didn't have a lot of room to maneuver. Soon, though, they won the upper hand, because there were simply more of them. Maybe an hour passed of solid fighting, both sides holding their own, before a change seemed to occur. Some of the demons seemed to lose strength. Others seemed to surge with newfound energy, taking out the nearest girl and rushing forward, before they too seemed drained. As the creatures lagged, the remaining Slayers, the vampires, and the small creature with blue hair finished them off.  
It took some moments before any of those who were still alive recovered enough to take in what had happened. The alley was strewn with corpses – those of fantastical demons, their evil steeds, even a dragon, and girls. So many girls. Angel looked around, spotting Gunn. No, he hadn't made it, but he had gone out with a good fight, bringing down five of the demons before simply running out of blood to keep him going. Spike was still standing, but barely, and sporting a nasty looking gash from one hip to his ribs. There was Buffy, who could always be counted on to be one of the last ones standing, it seemed. And Faith. Another girl, with curly brown hair and what appeared to be a broken arm. A blonde girl...Oh, God, was that Dawn lying broken on the side of the alley. Why was she fighting with the Slayers?  
His thoughts were interrupted by Spike's hand on his arm. "We gotta go, mate. Sun's coming up."  
Buffy spoke up. "The others are at your hotel. Let's get inside." She glanced around, finally seeing Dawn. All color drained from her face, and a low moan escaped her. She moved to her sister's side, tried to pick her up, but even the slim body was too much weight. Angel moved to help, but Buffy whipped her head toward him and said viciously, "No. Don't."  
Faith bent down and wordlessly helped Buffy lift her sister. "Lead the way." She said softly.  
Angel turned and went to the only place he could.  
Home. 


	2. Recovery

He hadn't been in this building for a little over a year. After returning from Sunnydale, his new liaison had presented him with a deed to the hotel and the keys to his new apartment above his office. After everything that had happened with Connor, Cordelia, and Jasmine, he had decided it would be easier to just leave it alone, try to move on. He wasn't prepared for the rush of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him as he stepped over the threshold. Everywhere he looked, he could see them. They had left their mark on this place, and he was irrationally angry that instead of being able to sit here alone and grieve in peace, the lobby was filled with people. Giles sat at Cordy's desk. Willow stood at the counter, standing in the same place Gunn had leaned so many times. In the office, instead of Wesley, there was Xander. No Fred, no Lorne. It wasn't fair. Over the years, they had fought just as hard as the so-called Scoobies. They had sacrificed any chance at a normal life, had given up their dreams, and had all been rewarded with death and misery. The Sunnydale kids had lived almost selfishly, and thrived.  
He knew he wasn't being rational. Perhaps thrived wasn't the best word, with Buffy cradling her dead sister. Willow was embracing the curly haired girl as if she hadn't really expected her to return, and Faith was confirming for Giles and Xander that all of the missing girls were indeed dead. "All of them?" Xander kept asking. Giles merely sank down in a nearby church.  
Angel searched the room for Illyria, not surprised to find her standing by herself in the courtyard, head cocked to one side, as if she was listening intently to something no one else could hear. Spike stood in a corner, arms crossed protectively around himself, eyes following Buffy's every move.  
Still standing in the doorway were two girls he hadn't noticed before. One was a light skinned black girl, wearing tight jeans and a cropped red tank top. Her skin was covered in bruises and scrapes but otherwise she seemed to have faired better than the rest of them. The other girl had pitch-black hair and bright green eyes. She was dressed in looser clothes – jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel shirt. She looked pretty shell- shocked. One hand was pressed against her side where blood was seeping through her fingers. The other hand hung limply. They both seemed unsure of what to do next, causing Angel to wonder if her had ever been that young. Giles recovered from his own shock and went to the girls, leading them to the couch in the middle of the lobby. "Tiffany, Caitlin," he said. "How are you holding up?"  
The black girl was Tiffany and her voice shook as she explained to Giles, "I- Rona fell on me, and I must have passed out. I missed most of it, Giles. I'm so sorry."  
"Nonsense." Giles said reassuringly. "You think no one else has ever been knocked out in the middle of a fight? It doesn't mean you didn't do your best." He turned. "Come, Caitlin, let me see how bad it is." He moved her hand away from her stomach and blood poured out. "Oh, dear. Do you have any kind of supplies?"  
Angel started, realizing he was being spoken to. "There's some in the office, more in the kitchen." He answered.  
Xander grabbed what there was in the office and asked Angel where the kitchen was. Seamlessly the Scoobies moved from the after-fight grief to patching up the wounded. "I know a spell." Willow explained to Angel as she fastened a sling for her girlfriend, Kennedy. "It should remove the dead demons from the alley."  
"Can you – can you bring back Gunn? There's a spot, by where Doyle and Cordelia..."  
"Cordy?" Xander asked. "What happened to Cordy?"  
Angel was speechless for a moment, saved only by Giles. "We'll have time for explanations soon enough."  
"We're not staying." Buffy broke in.  
"Buffy, we don't know if we're done here." Giles said. "I really think-"  
"Then stay. I'm leaving."  
Xander frowned. "Buff, we don't even know if someone will come after us for helping out here. I think we should at least find out what's going on."  
"I – Fine. I'll go help Willow. I just can't stay here." She shot Angel and Spike an angry glance before walking out the door. Willow looked apologetically at Angel as she hurried after her. 


	3. Something to Do

Angel turned and headed out the other door to the courtyard. Spike followed. They stood in the shade, neither saying a word. Illyria walked to them, standing with them, but apart as well. After a while, she spoke. "Wesley? What will happen to his form?"  
Angel felt weary. "If we want to bury him, someone will have to get his..." He broke off, pausing a moment. Steeling himself, he continued, "Someone will have to get his body."  
Illyria looked hopeful. "I shall retrieve his form. I find I cannot just stand about, with no purpose."  
Spike nodded. "Know what you mean. I wish I could go somewhere, do something."  
She pivoted and walked away. "Illyria!" Angel called. She turned back, tilting her head.  
He sighed. "We're not at Wolfram and Hart anymore. If you meet a person, you have to..." He glanced at Spike, not really sure how to say it.  
"You have to be Fred, love." Spike filled in, understanding. "The humans won't get the blueness of you."  
She nodded. "Very well." And with that she was gone.  
"What the hell am I going to do with her now?" He wondered out loud.  
Spike turned and looked back at the group inside the hotel. "You should get that shoulder looked at."  
Angel looked down at himself. He hadn't even noticed the huge hole in his arm. Then he studied Spike's abdomen. "And you? You know your intestines are showing?"  
"Huh. So they are. I wonder if any of them in there can sew. I had Xander sew me up once, but I don't think he'd be too good at it now, what with the one eye and all."  
"If I'm going to let Xander near me with a needle, I need something to drink." Angel stated. "And if I remember correctly, I've got a bottle or two of something in the office that should help us be brave."  
"Sounds like just the cure I need." The two vampires went off in search of reinforcements. 


	4. The Inquisition

Wounds dressed, Angel and Spike took their bottle and disappeared to Angel's bedroom, where they both hoped they could drink in silence. Illyria returned mid-afternoon and joined them, standing in the corner looking out the balcony doors. The three sat in companionable silence for hours, until darkness fell, and then they sat some more, until there came a knock at the door. By this time, the bottles were empty and whatever effect they had was long gone. No one moved.  
On the other side of the door, Caitlin waited nervously. As far as she could tell, the two vampires and the mysterious demon had been holed up here for hours, doing God knows what. No one else seemed concerned – apparently they were all "good" demons, if there was such a thing. Still, she noticed Giles sent her to retrieve the "good" demons rather than coming up himself. That wasn't a good sign. She rapped on the door a little harder. "Uh, I'm just gonna come in." She called out. She silently counted to ten, and opened the door.  
She felt stupid when she saw they were just sitting there. Caitlin wasn't sure what she expected, but she didn't think they'd be sitting around like people. Actually, she knew what she expected. She'd had a mental picture of a science lab and a big chalkboard with their evil plans drawn on it, and bodies littering the room. She'd only been fighting demons for a few months and she had a hard time shaking the images that had driven into her head by movies and books. "Uh, Giles said he wants you guys to come down so we can all talk." She announced. "He ordered pizza." She froze, knowing she'd just said something stupid. "Um, not that you care about the pizza or anything. Cause, you know, you can't eat. Or, um, you don't eat. Food, I mean." Shut up! She told herself. Stop babbling at the monsters.  
Angel and Spike stood. "Time for the inquisition, I guess." Angel said.  
Spike chuckled. "Do you think he ordered chicken wings?"  
They strode past her, amazingly calm. She wondered if they were really as casual about all this as they seemed. The other one, the female demon, wandered out of the room. She stopped in front of Caitlin and turned to face her, tipping her head at an angle and staring fixedly into Caitlin's eyes. "Don't be afraid." She ordered, and then followed the vampires.  
Okay, that was strange, even in the bizarre world her life had turned into since she came into her new abilities. It had been a lot easier to take everything in stride when there were all of the other girls just as weirded out as herself. Suddenly, though, instead of hundreds of Slayers, there were five. And Caitlin knew, deep in her bones, that she and Tiffany would be the next Slayers to die. It was like the Universe didn't want there to be more than one Slayer, so it kept throwing things at them until they were down to one. Or maybe she was just being fanciful. After all, this last battle wasn't the fault of the Universe. It was Angel's fault. Buffy said so.  
  
"It's your fault." Buffy said coldly.  
The group was assembled around a large table in a dining room on the second floor. The room was a mess, broken furniture and debris everywhere, since it wasn't and room Angel had ever used before, but it had a large table and working lights and would suffice for this meeting.  
Angel, Spike, and Illyria all sat together on one end of the round table. Somehow, it felt as though the Scoobies were closing ranks and leaving them out. Illyria didn't seem to care, but it bothered Angel more than he would ever admit. And he could tell Spike was feeling the rejection as well.  
A space separated Illyria from Kennedy, then Willow, Xander, Buffy, Giles, Faith, Tiffany, and Caitlin, who sat next to Angel. He watched the little Slayer when she wasn't looking. She was nervous, new, but she didn't seem to be instantly against him. This oddly encouraged him, though he knew her opinion wouldn't matter much to the others. Tiffany, on the other hand, was glaring at him with open hostility. He wasn't sure if it was just your standard vampire hate, or if she too blamed him for last night's battle.  
Let her blame him. Let Buffy blame him. It was his fault. He missed his friends, knew he was responsible for their deaths, but he would not regret the good they had done last night. He met Buffy's eyes levelly, and told her so. 


	5. An Overdue Conversation

"Before we get into all of the little events that led up to last night, let me just tell you I'm not sorry for what caused it. We took out a very powerful group last night, the worst of the worst, and we very likely put a big dent in the Apocalypse. The real, final apocalypse."  
A lot of voices rose after that, but Giles' voice rose above the din. "We must have some order!"  
Faith sat back from the table a little with one leg up on her chair. She leaned forward, grabbed a slice of pizza. "We need more than order. Some of us are lacking a lot of Intel. So let's start with the most obvious – last time I saw you, Blondie, you were looking a little flamey."  
Spike gave a little smile. "Magic necklace. Brought me back as a ghost. Magic box, made me less see-through."  
No one said anything, so Faith continued. "Okay. We heard something about it when that little freak brought Dana to us, but we thought he was just being – well, a little freak."  
Xander cleared his throat. Belatedly, Angel realized he and Buffy were holding hands. He wondered if it was just friendly support, or something more. "That explains Spike, but what the heck are you?" He asked, addressing Illyria.  
"Oh, oh!" Willow said. "Fred!"  
Angel nodded. "That's right – you met her."  
"Magic coffin. Put the former Old One here in our little Fred, burned her right out of her own body." Spike summarized.  
Angel turned his gaze to Giles. "I believe I called you about that."  
Giles began to clean his glasses. "Uh, so you did. I – well, Andrew...oh, um. I take it, that had something to do with this."  
"Well, actually, it goes back to when Cordy came out of the coma-"  
"Cordy?" Xander said.  
"Coma?" Faith asked.  
"Magic coma." Spike filled in. "She died, passed on her visions to the boss here."  
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the "boss" comment. A year and a half ago, Spike hadn't exactly been Angel's biggest fan.  
"There seems to be a lot of magic things involved here." Giles observed dryly.  
Caitlin looked at Giles. "What does he mean by visions?"  
Angel turned to look at her. It was a little strange that she was hearing all of this for the first time and that was the detail she picked up on. "Cordy had visions of things that were going to happen." He explained. "When she died, that night I had a vision. Of the Circle of the Black Thorn."  
"Ah, yes." Giles said. "I think that's where we come in. After our phone call, I had a long talk with Andrew. I found out that he was a bit precipitous when he learned you were running the law firm. I called Wesley to apologize, see if we could be of any help, but he wasn't very – coherent. I began researching Wolfram and Hart on my own."  
"He and Fred were very close." Angel said. "I began a plan to take down the Circle. I thought about asking you help, Buffy, but when we were in Rome-"  
"What does Rome have to do with anything?"  
"We saw you." Spike said, almost growling. The sound sent chills up Caitlin's spine. She had been getting comfortable, forgetting they were monsters, but she sat at attention now, sensing danger.  
"We saw you with the Immortal."  
"The what?" Buffy said. "I haven't been in Rome in eight months. Dawn wanted to transfer to an English school because she missed everybody."  
"But we were at your flat." Spike said, confused.  
"Did you go in?" Xander asked.  
"Yeah-"  
"Well, how could you go into Buffy's house unless Buffy invited you?"  
"So you weren't in Rome." Angel said. Inwardly, he cringed. That wasn't his finest moment, riding around Rome on a moped with Spike. He had been so driven by jealousy, both of Buffy with another man, and of the Immortal making a conquest of one of his women. Again. Also, he had been anxious to get back to LA and the Circle. "So we took out the Circle, and the Senior Partners tried to take us out."  
"And we came to help." Giles said. "The only question is, what do we all do now?" 


	6. Patrol

Giles decided that they all should take the night to consider their next actions, while he looked into the Senior Partners more. He was worried they might seek further retribution. He suggested that those who felt up to it should patrol and see what the situation was on the streets. Xander, Kennedy, and Tiffany stayed behind to help Giles. Buffy and Willow left together before anyone could join them, and Illyria disappeared, so Spike, Angel, Faith, and Caitlin set out. "We'll hang with the vamps for a while," Faith explained to Caitlin, "since it's their territory. Plus, we're all a little banged up." She pointed to the bandage taped to her temple.  
They decided to check out the nearest cemetery, then try out a demon bar. Angel and Faith fell back a few steps, leaving Caitlin with Spike. She looked around, trying to look at anything but the creature next to her.  
"So," Spike said twenty minutes later. "We both got stabbed in the belly."  
She shot him a quizzical glance. As conversation starters go, that wasn't what she was expecting. "Uh, yeah."  
"Good thing we heal quick."  
"Hmmm. Good thing."  
"You like being a Slayer?"  
"I don't remember anyone asking if I wanted it, so I don't think anyone cares if I like it."  
"Uh – yeah. Good point."  
"You killed two Slayers."  
He missed a step. "Well, yeah, I did at that, pet. They teaching ancient history at Slayer School?"  
"Ancient history? One was twenty five years ago. For you, that's barely any time at all."  
"Yeah, but I got a – "  
"Don't say it." She said. "I don't want to hear that crap about a soul."  
"But it makes a difference."  
"No, it doesn't. It makes an excuse. And I don't see how a soul is such a great thing. You still killed people. Humans with souls do evil stuff all the time, and-"  
Faith laid her hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "Caitie, let it go, okay. Save the philosophical discussions for another time. You got a cig, Blondie?"  
Spike seemed almost relieved by the change of subject. "Anything for you, love."  
Caitlin stopped, unwilling to let it drop. Then she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned toward the nearby alley. Angel had stopped when she did, and now he came up behind her. She liked that he didn't say anything, just focused on the same thing she saw. "Not good." She muttered. "There's no way to see what's going on without going in."  
"So go in." He said. "Act like you're looking for someone. I'll be right behind you."  
"I-"  
"I know you don't trust me, but give me a chance."  
She didn't know what to do, but then she heard a girl scream and it made up her mind. She walked right into the alley. There seemed to be four vamps, two girls. Not good odds unless Angel came through. She had to just hope for the best. "Hey, guys." She called out. "Have you seen a dog come through here?" She paused. "Hey, what's wrong with your faces?" She said, hoping they'd drop the girls and come after her, but only two of them came after her. One of the girls screamed again.  
She waited until they got close enough to her, then spun and kicked both. They each reeled a little, but neither fell. She punched one, kicked at the other, then took a punch to her stomach that dropped her to her knees. One grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up, exposing her throat. She closed her eyes and prayed he'd come through. 


	7. Trust Rewarded

She heard the vampire grunt in surprise and his hold on her hair loosened. She dropped to a crouch and grabbed the stake strapped to her ankle as he dissolved into dust. She popped up and drove her stake into the chest of the vamp who'd turned to attack Angel. One girl screamed again, causing Caitlin to wonder how the girl hadn't figured out help had arrived. She ran to the girl just as the vampire dropped her and swung at Caitlin. She kicked him square in the stomach, sending him flying into some garbage. A quick look around showed her Angel was busy with the last vampire. She advanced on the vampire as he rose. He hit her on the jaw; in turn, she hit him three times in quick succession, then dusted him. The other vampire disappeared seconds later and Angel helped the stunned girl up. Caitlin held a hand out to the girl nearest her, smiling reassuringly. "You girls live around here?" She asked.  
They both shook their heads.  
Caitlin nodded. "How about we walk you to a bus stop?"  
They both nodded eagerly even as Angel protested. "I need to get back- "  
"You can spare five minutes to make sure they get home safe." She said, cutting him off. "Why leave the job half done?"  
A few minutes later, they watched the bus drive off. "Okay," Caitlin said. "What's the big, important date?"  
"I have to bury my friends." He replied evenly.  
"Oh. Need some help?"  
He didn't answer right away, just studied her, expressionless. They headed back toward the hotel. She tried not to let him see how nervous he was making her.  
"No." He answered finally. "Illyria will help me."  
"Are you sure you don't want someone around who, you know, feels?" She grinned. "Otherwise, I have to help with research. Between you and me, I suck at it. Besides, your friend saved me before he died. I feel like I should...I don't know, pay my respect."  
"Fine. Whatever. Just stay out of Illyria's way. She's kind of...twitchy." 


	8. Final Rest

It had taken over an hour and a half to get to the small cemetery on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Angel had chosen this place years ago, trying to keep it far enough from both LA and Sunnydale so his friend would not disturbed at his final resting place. Over the years, that decision seemed smarter and smarter. He paid a caretaker very well to keep this plot of land immaculate and not to ask questions.  
On one side lay a small grove of trees with a wrought iron park bench. The first grave was closest to the bench. After a few years, the granite faded a bit, the mound where the grave had been dug settled, and it began to look like it belonged, like it was supposed to be there. Over the years, Angel had spent a lot of time many cemeteries, yet he still hadn't been able to pinpoint that imperceptible point in time when a new grave stopped appearing raw and began looking like part of the landscape. This was Doyle's grave.  
The same couldn't be said for the two graves next to it. Both headstones glistened in the moonlight, the newly carved lettering looking deep black against the near white stone. Cordelia Chase and Winnifred Burkle. He'd decided to put up a headstone for Fred even though there was no body to put under it, and even though no one had informed her parents yet. With everything that had happened, the opportunity just hadn't presented itself. Or so he kept telling himself.  
Between Doyle and Cordy's grave lay a rectangle of bare dirt where another stone had lain for a brief period of time. He had come here as soon as he could get away after his son had returned, and he'd destroyed the stone, throwing the pieces of granite in the ocean. He'd never told anyone that about any of it, though he suspected Cordelia had known.  
"I do not understand." Illyria said archly from behind him. She sounded angry.  
"She deserves to be remember as more than just your shell." He replied tersely, knowing what she took issue with. He continued before she could argue. "Let's start with Wesley."  
He opened the trunk of the car, removing a shovel. As he passed the young Slayer, he checked to be sure she was still asleep. She'd passed out halfway through the ride. It amused him that she snored softly.  
He thought about waking her, but decided against it. For all she wanted to help, this was a private matter.  
Illyria watched silently as he dug. "Am I supposed to cry?" She asked.  
Great, he thought to himself. He was going to be her new guide? What the hell did he know about being human? "I don't know." He said honestly. "Do you feel like crying?"  
"I – I do not know."  
"Most people cry when someone they care about dies. Some of them do it in private, though."  
She appeared to think that over, then took the shovel. "Let us finish this, so I may think on this further." 


	9. Rememberance

She wasn't sure what time she woke, but it was still dark. Maybe four? A quick glance around and she saw that Angel had already finished the graves. He was sitting on a bench near the graves, while the blue haired creature stood some distance away, communing with the moon or counting water molecules in the ocean, or whatever. Caitlin couldn't figure her out.  
  
She got out of the car and walked over to the bench, careful not to step on the graves. She often thought the worst thing about being a Slayer was that she had to fight right over people's graves. It made her feel dirty somehow, like she was killing them all over again or something. She watched Buffy and the other girls stride through cemeteries like they owned the place, walking wherever they chose without even seeming to notice that there were people there. They broke stones and just left them there. They entered crypts and mausoleums like they were regular houses. One of the first times she'd gone patrolling, she'd missed when stabbing a vampire, sticking her stake into the ground directly over someone's grave. She'd quickly taken out the vamp, then rolled over and cried, all the while feeling stupid. She'd tried to talk to Buffy, but the older Slayer didn't get it. Faith was like, "That's nothing. One time, I killed this scientist." Like it was a contest. Only Giles had understood and tried to help her.  
She sat on the bench, as far away from Angel as possible without being too obvious. She read the stones. "I met Cordelia." She said, trying not to speak too loud. "She told me I was short and had a flat chest. She said, don't worry, you'll either grow or fins a good plastic surgeon."  
He said nothing.  
"The guy who saved me. What was his name?"  
"Gunn. Charles Gunn."  
"No way!" She exclaimed. "I met him, too, back when I was younger. He saved my life then, too."  
"Vampires?"  
"Yeah, before I knew what they were." She looked away for a minute. "So, what was the other guy's name?"  
"Wesley Wyndham-Price."  
"The Watcher?"  
"Let me guess. You met him too."  
"No, just heard about him. I think Faith was exaggerating, though. She told me some odd stories."  
"Anything good?"  
"Kind of. How should we remember him?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, Cordelia was honest. Gunn was brave. So Wesley was..." She trailed off.  
It was Illyria who answered. "Loyal."  
"Loyal works. How about Fred?"  
Finally, Angel's face lightened a little. "There is no word to sum up Fred. She was brilliant, she was crazy, she-"  
Illyria spoke again. "She loved tacos." She tilted her head in a gesture that was beginning to bug Caitlin. "What is a taco?"  
Caitlin stood. "That's a lovely epitaph. Well, guys, unless, you're keen on Angel-flambé, I think it's time to head back." 


	10. Nearsighted

Caitlin caught a few hours of sleep when they got back, but was awakened by a dream – the same bad dream that she'd had since she was a little kid. As usual, it left her a little shaken. She went down to the lobby in search of some food, or at the very least some caffeine. It was empty except for Giles, asleep on a pile of books. She tried to sneak past him quietly, but he woke anyway. "Oh! Caitlin." He adjusted his glasses. "I was hoping to speak to you."  
"Me?" She asked, trying to come off nonchalant, but mostly just sounding dumb. "Hey, where's everyone?"  
"Yes, you."  
"Can it wait? I'm really-"  
"I'm sorry, it can't. It's already ten, and the others should wake soon. Spike and Faith came back around five, before you, and Buffy and Willow showed up about a half hour after sunrise." He chuckled. "However, the problem with Slayers is that they can not be counted on to sleep very long."  
"What about the vampires?"  
"Will most likely awaken when the others do."  
Trapped, she sat on the edge of the desk. "You want to talk about the visions." She said grimly. "I don't. I caught on right around the time you did, and I don't really care." He said nothing. She really hated that. Some people had the ability to remain totally silent, saying a million words without moving a muscle or betraying any emotion. She couldn't. She felt the need to fill any uncomfortable silence with some kind of conversation. When she'd first started training with Buffy, it had annoyed the older Slayer so much that she refused to patrol with Caitlin any longer. Which was cool with Caitlin – it meant she got to hang with Faith more.  
Totally negating her last statement, she rushed on. "And thanks for not telling Buffy that it was my vision that brought us here. The way she was yesterday-"  
"Yes, I'm afraid she would blame you. Rather unfairly, of course, just as she blames Angel." He cleared his throat. "Well, I think it's evident from the discussion yesterday where these visions originated."  
"So?" She said defensively.  
"If the purpose of these visions is to help Angel, they are most likely not going to go away."  
"That's okay, though. I have a vision, I ring Angel up, tell him the good news, and go back to my business." She smiled brightly. "It'll be like I'm in two places at once."  
He took his glasses off and announced sternly, "I believe that when we meet this morning, Buffy will demand to go home. If that is so, you will need to have reached a decision. I think you know that."  
She looked down. "Why? I can't choose. Just tell me what to do." She began to pace. "I don't even know what my options are. I'm supposed to chose between leaving with the people who rescued me, showed me who I was and helped me understand this new powers, or staying behind to share the painful visions shoved in my head with a guy who may or may not be evil, who may or may not have the rest of the armies of hell coming after him?"  
"Yes, well clearly you do know what your choices are." He began. "I-"  
"I don't believe it! She's sleeping with bloody Nancy boy Xander!" 


	11. Drama

Spike's bellow woke everyone in the hotel.  
"Good lord." Giles said with a sigh. "I did think I was beyond this juvenile drama."  
Caitlin grinned, relieved by the diversion. "Face it, Giles. There is no escape."  
Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs in a robe. "Shut up, Spike!" she hissed, though everyone heard her. Faith walked right past them, as if nothing unusual was happening. She walked down the stairs and hopped up onto the counter. Caitlin noticed almost clinically that Spike's face seemed to be turning red. She wondered if vampires could have high blood pressure if their blood didn't pump.  
"It's none of your business what I do." Buffy continued.  
"But you're – you were in bed with that bloody – "Spike sputtered.  
"Did you expect me to wait forever, when I didn't even know you were alive?"  
Angel pushed past them, muttering something Caitlin didn't understand about cookies.  
"Well, I couldn't tell you at first, could I? I was a bloomin' ghost!" He turned away. "I died for you, and you turned to that poof." He spun back to face her. "And you would have known if you had bothered to find out what Andrew was up to."  
"I didn't know!" Buffy ground out. She threw up her hands. "I'm not going to discuss this with you, Spike."  
Willow and Kennedy walked right in between them, Kennedy dragging Tiffany with her. Tiffany flinched as Spike stepped closer to Buffy. "But why him?"  
"I'm sorry your feelings are hurt, but he makes me happy. I need that."  
Spike seemed ready to storm away, but he happened to notice Illyria just then. "Happy, huh?" He said in a low voice. "At least now I know what you were doing when we needed your help. Do you know how many people are head because you just need to be happy?"  
She sucked in her breathe. "Don't you dare talk about your losses. I came to help, and lost my sister. And most of the Slayers."  
Caitlin was glad that she at least tacked the girls onto the end. Just then, the man of the hour appeared. "Ladies and gentleman, and dead evil things, I hope you enjoyed the show. Don't forget to tip your waitress." Xander announced, grabbing Buffy's hand and taking a bow.  
Spike rolled his eyes and stalked away to lick his wounds. Ew, Caitlin thought. Hopefully not literally. Very bad mental image. After all that melodrama, she really needed some coffee.  
Buffy and Xander came down to join the group. Giles cleared his throat. "Well, that was...um. Yes, I think we should have breakfast, then resume our discussion."  
Tiffany practically flew out of her seat. "I'll go! I mean, I'll get breakfast. Please."  
Giles looked to Faith. "Will you accompany her?"  
"Sure." She said, pushing off the counter. "Always glad to help." 


	12. Reassembled

Appetites sated, the group assembled again at the round table an hour later. Angel looked bored with the proceedings. Spike glowered. The Scoobies seemed very uncomfortable, shifting in their seats and trying to look anywhere but at the three people across the table.  
In truth, Angel was bored. He wasn't really interested in more arguing or conversation. He just wanted as many people as possible out of his home. As soon as this little meeting was over, he decided, he was going to lock himself into the basement until they cleared out. If Spike wanted to stay, that would be fine. Oddly, he was one of the few beings Angel could tolerate. He figured he was stuck with Illyria, at least until she found somewhere better to go.  
Giles shuffled some papers. "Yes, well. As near as I can determine, the Senior Partners are very unstable in this dimension. That is why they must work through organizations such as the Black Thorn and Wolfram and Hart. The attack the other night required a great deal of energy. At the moment, I believe Angel should be quite safe while they rebuild. I asked everyone to think on our situation, so in light of this new information, I'd like to hear what each of you has to say."  
Angel had to appreciate how Giles had learned to preside over a discussion. The Watcher gestured to Angel first. He crossed his arms over his chest. "As you said, we're safe. So go home."  
Spike grunted something, and Illyria looked at Giles as if he were a new and interesting but not altogether pleasant specimen. Angle figured that was support of some sort.  
"Kennedy?" Giles asked.  
"I think we're done here."  
"Willow?"  
The red headed witch sat up straighter in her seat. "Well, I think it's important for us to rebuild too."  
"Xander?"  
As if to confirm to everyone who hadn't been previously aware that Buffy and Xander were together, they had pushed their chairs as close as possible. Angel tried to remember a time when Buffy had leaned on him as unconditionally as she did Xander, and couldn't. Even after her mother had died, she'd held a part of herself back from him.  
"I didn't want to come here in the first place. I think we've paid a high enough price."  
"Buffy?"  
"I want to bury my sister at her home." She said stiffly.  
"Faith?"  
"Well, I don't want to leave my boy high and dry, but if you think it's cool..."  
"Tiffany?"  
"I haven't seen anything to make me want to stay."  
Giles nodded, then paused, coming to the last person at the table. "Caitlin?"  
She closed her eyes briefly. "No matter what the rest of you do, I'm staying."  
Buffy, Xander, and Willow protested immediately. The other Slayers looked at her like she'd grown another head. Angel said loudly and immediately, "No, you're not. I'm not babysitting."  
Giles waited until everyone was quiet, then went. "Very well. I propose we leave one Slayer here, besides Caitlin, until Angel and Spike are back on their feet and have a plan. Faith, you seem to be the best choice."  
"I agree," Faith said.  
"Well, I don't." Buffy countered. "I don't see why Caitlin is staying."  
"Because." Caitlin said, watching Angel for a reaction. "I have to. Remember those visions of Cordelia's? I've had them for months now."  
Silenced reigned. After a moment, Buffy turned to Giles. "Did you know about this?"  
"We knew Caitlin was having prescient experiences." He admitted.  
"And that's why we came." She deduced. She faced Caitlin. "That's why Dawn is dead. You killed my sister." 


	13. Next Generation

She sat on the ledge, legs dangling off the side of the building. Of all the things that frightened her, even after the super-power boost, heights weren't on the list. Perhaps the best thing about being up this high, besides the view, was the quiet. There wasn't anyone around, and even if someone invaded her bubble, it seemed like their negative energy would dissipate into the air around them. Downstairs, however, where tensions ran high, where there was nowhere to hide, you were forced to absorb the stress and anger.  
She knew she should go down, say goodbye. Despite the fact that Buffy hated her right now, the older Slayer had taught her a lot. And her cousin – well, she wasn't exaggerating when she said he rescued her. Somehow, someway, he had found out she was a Slayer, and that she was in L.A. They had found her living in poverty, not understanding what had happened to her, and seriously thinking about giving up, ending her pathetic existence. The cousin she'd always of as a goofy kid was now a man, with an eye patch as a battle scar and answers to most of her questions. He and his friends taught her that she could fight back, and protect others. She'd found a father in Giles, an older sister in Faith, and friends in some of the other girls, including Dawn. That had last until a few months ago, when she'd had the first vision.  
She heard the footsteps on the stairs and slid off the ledge, automatically defensive before she even knew who was coming. She didn't relax when she saw it was Angel, followed by a boy about her age.  
"Caitlin." Angel said. "I didn't realize anyone was up here."  
"I can go." She said quickly.  
He wished she would just go. The last thing he needed was someone else to be responsible for. He had shown her first hand how ill-equipped for the job he was. Having Connor here threatened to overwhelm him as it was. "No. I just didn't want to talk around them, but if you're staying, you might as well meet my son."  
The kid held out his hand. "Hey, I'm Connor."  
Stunned, she shook his hand. "I – uh, I thought I heard all the best Angel stories, but somehow I'm thinking I missed one."  
He grinned. "I'm still sorting out what's real and what isn't in my head, so you'll have to get the big guy to explain." He turned to his father, giving Caitlin a chance to study them both, looking for similarities. "So, it's good to see you survived the wrath of the lawyers."  
Angel nodded. "I was going to find you as soon as my visitors cleared out. You made it out okay?"  
"Yep. Went home and tried to finish my homework, but I had forgotten how wired a fight gets you." He hesitated. "So, I got to thinking. I don't know what you were going to do now, but I want to help."  
"No." Angel said in a tone meant to convey that there would be no arguments.  
"Come on. At least I could-"  
"No. You are going to go to school, live a normal life."  
"I can go to school and help you out. I can do research."  
Caitlin brightened. "Hey, that's not a bad idea."  
Angel sent her a dark look. "You don't get a vote."  
"Fine," she said with a shrug. "But I know I suck at research, and it isn't Faith's best area either. Who else you got? The blue haired freak?"  
"She has a name."  
"I won't fight," Connor promised. "Unless you really need me."  
"Not even then." Angel said, giving in. "I don't want you doing this for me."  
"I'm not." The boy said earnestly. "I'm doing it for me. I can't just ignore what's out there. It's either this, or I patrol by myself."  
She had to admire the kid. He looked normal enough, wore nice clothes suggesting there was money there, so he could just turn his back on the creepy little world she knew Angel lived in, what with vampires and evil lawyers and other assorted demons. "If that's settled, I guess I'd better go down and say goodbye."  
Connor beat her to the door, holding it open for her. "I can go down with you."  
"Yeah, whatever." She said, shooting a glance at Angel. See, the kid even had manners. Not like she needed some guy to hold a door for her, though. 


	14. Goodbye and Hello

Faith swore to herself. She didn't know what the hell she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to hug B? Or just wave as she walked away? She leaned back against the wall from her perch on the counter, wishing she had a cigarette. She'd bum one from Spike, but she knew it would piss Buffy off, like sharing cigarettes meant she was on his side.  
Not that she wasn't. The way she figured it, Buffy could have at least taken a break from her boy toy while they were here, just out of respect for her exes. Angel didn't seem as tore up about the whole thing as Blondie, but she knew it had to bug him.  
Where was the big man anyway? He'd disappeared with Superboy a while back, leaving Giles and the Scoobies standing around waiting to say goodbye. Except Willow. The witch was working on a spell to teleport Dawn's body back to the English countryside, so they wouldn't have to answer any questions. One of the few girls they'd left behind was supposed to call as soon as the body arrived.  
She wondered where Illyria was. Spike had filled her in on how the body takeover had went down, how Illyria had once been the supreme ruler of something or other but was stuck in the body of Angel's friend. The difference was startling. She had met Fred once, long enough to be amazed by the physical changes. Spike said she had been hit pretty hard by the death of Wes, which Faith could understand. She still couldn't believe her old watcher was died, brought down by one old wizard. The guy had survived her worst, outsmarted Angelus, and knew more about magic and mystic forces that anyone she'd met, except for Giles, and when it was all over, he'd died of a knife wound. It made you think.  
A few minutes later, Caitlin descended the stairs, followed by Connor and Angel. The kid, Faith noted, was sticking pretty close to Caitlin. She hoped he wasn't getting all excited, because there was one girl who wasn't looking for a good time. The way Caitie told it, she'd had it pretty rough, first as a kid, then as a runaway right here in LA. She rated guys somewhere above cockroaches and below slugs. Faith knew she was supposed to be a good role model and tell her good guys were out there, but she couldn't do it. To the best of her knowledge, the only good guys left were right here in this room, and they all had problems. One day she'd teach the girl that men had their purpose – get what you wanted and get gone.  
She came to attention, realizing she was missing the tearful goodbyes. Caitlin hugged Giles and Xander, and tried to say something to Buffy, but the older Slayer just ignored her. It obviously hurt, but Caitlin moved on, touched Tiffany lightly on the shoulder and giving Kennedy a mock salute. She came over to stand by Faith. "You okay?" Faith asked.  
"Yeah, fine."  
Right. Faith slid off the counter and went over to say her own peace. "I'll give you all a call in a few weeks, unless something comes up."  
Giles was cleaning his glasses, and replaced them on his face. "Call anytime, Faith. Even if you don't need something."  
"Yeah. Uh – You cool, B?" she asked hesitantly.  
Buffy nodded. Faith couldn't get a handle on what she'd be feeling. She didn't think it had even really hit Buffy yet that all the wannabes were gone. She turned and went over to Spike. Screw it, she needed a smoke. "You got any cigs?" She muttered when she was close enough.  
"Yeah," he said, rising. "Why don't I keep you company?" He shot Buffy a long look, then squared his shoulders and led the way to the courtyard.  
"Cab's waiting." Giles announced. "Angel, take care of our girls."  
Buffy muttered something.  
Angel chose to ignore her. "Yeah, you bet. But maybe you could look into the visions, see if there's a way to get rid of them?"  
Giles opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. "Of course. Willow?"  
"One more minute!" she called.  
They left, Willow following a moment later. Angel stood by the doorway, watching the cab pull off. Connor had been slowly, nonchalantly working his way to the counter where Caitlin stood, and now he was about a foot away, leaning against the end like he had always been there. Faith and Spike reentered the lobby. "Now what, boss?" Faith called.  
He turned to face them. "Now we go back to the fight. A guy I knew said the world was sliding toward empathy and degradation. I say, we did some damage to the forces causing the empathy and degradation, but that's not all we can do. We go back to helping people, person by person, case by case."  
"Uh, that's great, real stirring and all." Spike said. "But how do you propose we do that?"  
Angel was silent for a minute, deciding what to say. He looked at each person looking at him, waiting for the answers. "We-"  
A cry escaped Caitlin's lips, interrupting him. Her knees buckled with the pain of the vision ripping through her head – claws and blood, cold green eyes, and kids, two kids. Connor moved to catch her, but she turned away, steadying herself on the counter. She breathed in, trying to get her heart to slow and her eyes to focus. Finally she looked up. "We start with two kids. Matt and Chrissy. 1348 Euclid. Demon."  
No one moved. She turned back to Angel. "What are you waiting for? Go save the world."  
  
Coming soon ...As everyone adjusts to their new roles, someone very familiar comes to town – Drusilla. 


End file.
